Briercrest News

Volunteers make weekend tournament tops

Members of the Briercrest Clippers celebrate their win against the Mohawk College Mountaineers which earned them a spot in the gold medal game. Submitted photo by Josh Schaefer

From convenors to officials, players to fans, the general consensus is this past weekend’s 2014 CCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships was all aces.

Hosted by Briercrest College and Seminary, the tournament was held at YaraCentre in Moose Jaw March 6, 7 and 8 involving eight teams from across Canada. With the host team Clippers in the gold medal final, the crowd was loud and proud right up to the final match point, which helped contribute to the overall success of the tournament.

“I was absolutely overwhelmed with the dedication and work of the volunteers, including faculty, staff and students,” Briercrest President Michael Pawelke said after the tournament wrapped up. “It really was a lot of work.

“I was delighted with attendance at our games and with the energy of our fans. They encouraged our team.”

Overall, Pawelke felt all the hard work of the committee and volunteers and the encouragement of the fans really embodied the spirit of the college. He had comments from the various teams and officials on the quality of the environment and the dedication of the host committee.

“You want to leave a good impression. We were representing our faith, our Lord, our institution, Moose Jaw and Saskatchewan,” Pawelke said. He felt all were represented well this weekend.

Kyle Matthies, chairman of the organizing committee said the success was due to the hard work of all the volunteers.

“Our goal was that everyone who leaves (the tournament) leaves saying they have never been treated better,” he said. He was happy with the ultimate results from the volunteers.

Jadon Frank, whose role was compliance, was involved in everything from arranging teams’ needs to organizing game-day crews to tear down.

“It was something we haven’t been through before, but nothing unexpected came up. I felt very busy and a little stressed until the first whistle, then I felt at peace.”

While organizers have not yet met for a debriefing, many of those involved felt sure the college would bid on another major event soon.

“Once we have a more detailed evaluation, there might be some minor nuances of work that could be done differently, but on a grand scale, I don’t think there is anything we would change,” Pawelke said. He said while there hasn’t been any formal discussion as yet, he is confident the school will bid on hosting another major national event.

About Briercrest

Briercrest College and Seminary is a community of rigorous learning that calls students to seek the kingdom of God, to be shaped profoundly by the Scriptures, and to be formed spiritually and intellectually for lives of service.